Review: Google’s Nexus 7 tablet

When Google started selling the original Nexus 7 tablet last year, the reaction to it was fairly muted. It was a relatively unexciting device. It had no rear camera, the base model had only eight gigabytes of storage and was Wi-Fi only.

A year later, Google hasupdated the Nexus 7, and it’s a much more compelling tablet. It’s much thinner and lighter, has a front and rear cameras and the base model has 16 GB of storage. It’s faster, with a better screen, and a version with LTE connectivity will be available soon.

The 16-GB version is even less expensive than the original model with the same amount of storage – $229. There’s a 32-GB version that’s $269, and once the LTE version is out, it will have 32 GB of storage and sell for $349. With these changes, Google’s 7-inch tablet becomes one of the best you can buy.

The Nexus 7, which is made for Google by Asus, has a 7.02-inch display with a full, 1080p resolution of 1,920-by-1,200 pixels. That’s 323 pixels per inch, which is better than the full-sized iPad’s 264 ppi, and much better than the 7-inch iPad mini, with only 163 ppi. The display is bright and crisp. It’s excellent for reading, and HD video on it looks great.

The processor is a quad-core, 1.5-GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro. This isn’t the fastest processor around, but it’s more than adequate. The Nexus 7 comes with 2 gigabytes of RAM.

Unfortunately, there’s no way to expand the memory beyond the 16- or 32-GB built-in storage. This is typical of Google’s Nexus products, even though Android fully supports expandable storage. Because of that, I’d recommend most folks buy the 32-GB version. Smartphone and tablet owners typically end up wanting more storage than they have.

The Nexus 7 is remarkably thin and light, with dimensions of about 4.5-by-7.9-by-.34 inches, and weighing just 10.5 ounces. It’s not as wide as the original Nexus 7, but a little bit longer. When held horizontally, the left and right bezels are wider, which makes it easier to hold when watching video. Its narrower dimensions make it comfortable to hold vertically when reading.

The Nexus 7 is an all-plastic tablet. While the back of the original was rubberized, the new model’s back is plastic matte. It doesn’t slip out of your hands, and the plastic actually feels a little more comfortable then the rubber.

This new model now has a 5-megapixel rear camera with auto-focus. It’s not a great camera, but it will do for a tablet. The front camera remains at 1.2-MP with fixed focus.

Because it’s a new Nexus device, it comes with the latest version of Android – 4.3, a.k.a. Jelly Bean – and updates should come in a timely manner, since they’re under Google’s own control. This new version brings improved support for multiple user profiles, which makes the Nexus 7 a good tablet for families. (And you’ll really want the 32-GB model if you’re sharing the Nexus 7 with others.)

Google has been working hard to make Android’s performance smooth and fluid. Great strides were made with 4.2, and 4.3 improves on that. There is almost no lag in Android’s base functions, and although some reviewers complained about balky scrolling, I didn’t experience that.

However, I do have one performance bone to pick with the Nexus 7, but I’m not sure if it’s a problem with the touchscreen or Android. Occasionally, the Nexus 7 doesn’t respond to swiping motions. For example, it occasionally takes two or three swipes to clear cards away in Google Now, or when swiping through tabs in Chrome. This is an intermittent issue, but very irritating when it occurs.

The Nexus 7 supports advanced Bluetooth 4.0 and 802.11n Wi-Fi, and works on the 5-GHz band for the latter. It also support Miracast for wireless video and audio streaming to a set-top box or TV that also supports the standard.

Battery life is excellent, on a par with the iPad mini and even the full-sized iPad. I am able to go three days with casual use, connected constantly to Wi-Fi, before charging. The new Nexus 7 also support wireless charging, though I wasn’t sent one of those chargers to test.

With the new Nexus 7, Google has fixed most of the issues with the first one and improved it to the point that it’s a solid contender. For many people, particularly those who already carry Android smartphones, I’d recommend this over an iPad mini.